Photos: Russian air show aims high

The distance between France and Russia is more than just half a continent. You can see it in everything from drink (wine vs. vodka) to summer resorts (Yalta vs. Cannes) to political theorists (Rousseau vs. Marx). You can also see it in each country's blockbuster air show.

The biggest event on the aviation industry circuit is the biennial Paris Air Show, the most recent of which took place two months ago. This week, Russia strives for some of that same je ne sais quoi with the MAKS 2007 International Aviation & Space Salon.

One of the highly anticipated planes at the Russian show is the latest Sukhoi SU-35 multipurpose fighter. A key feature of the new Russian jet is its redesigned cockpit, with an emphasis on digital controls over mechanical ones, according to Aviation Week. For those keeping score, while MAKS has the whole plane, the Paris Air Show had only a cockpit simulator.

Caption text by Jonathan Skillings, staff writer, CNET News.com